1 1821 153 PROTOCOL FOR TESTING YOGA TO REDUCE POST-LUMBAR SPINE SURGERY PAIN: A METHODOLOGY ARTICLE. CURRENTLY, ACUTE POSTOPERATIVE PAIN DURING HOSPITALIZATION IS PRIMARILY MANAGED BY MEDICATIONS, AND PATIENTS MUST ADHERE TO RESTRICTIVE POSTOPERATIVE PRECAUTIONS FOR 3 MONTHS FOLLOWING LUMBAR SPINE SURGERIES. YOGA CAN BE AN ALTERNATIVE APPROACH TO ASSIST IN ACUTE AND SUBACUTE POSTOPERATIVE PAIN MANAGEMENT, ANXIETY, AND RETURN TO FUNCTION. THE PURPOSE OF THE PRESENT WORK WAS TO DEVELOP AND TEST THE FEASIBILITY AND EXPLORE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A TAILORED YOGA PROGRAM, DELIVERED IN-PERSON DURING THE HOSPITAL STAY AND ELECTRONICALLY AFTER HOSPITAL DISCHARGE, AS A POTENTIAL NEW AVENUE FOR POSTOPERATIVE CARE. THIS PILOT STUDY WILL USE A CROSSOVER RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED DESIGN. INDIVIDUALS AGED BETWEEN 40 AND 80 YEARS WHO ARE SCHEDULED FOR LUMBAR LAMINECTOMY AND/OR FUSION, AND WHO HAVE NOT PRACTICED REGULAR YOGA WITHIN THE PAST 6 MONTHS AT THE TIME OF ENROLLMENT, WILL BE RECRUITED AND RANDOMIZED TO EITHER A TAILORED YOGA PROGRAM (INTERVENTION GROUP) OR USUAL CARE (CONTROL GROUP) DURING THE HOSPITAL STAY (PHASE ONE). BEARING IN MIND POSTOPERATIVE PRECAUTIONS, ALL SUBJECTS WILL BE INSTRUCTED TO PERFORM A HOME-BASED TAILORED YOGA PROGRAM DELIVERED ELECTRONICALLY VIA YOUTUBE LINKS FOR 8 WEEKS POST-HOSPITAL DISCHARGE (PHASE TWO). THE PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES ASSESSING FEASIBILITY ARE ADHERENCE/COMPLIANCE. SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES INCLUDE PAIN, ANXIETY, FUNCTION, SLEEP, PERCEIVED STRESS, AND PAIN-CATASTROPHIZING BEHAVIOR. LENGTH OF HOSPITAL STAY AND PAIN MEDICATION USE, GAIT DISTANCE, AND OVERALL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY DURING HOSPITALIZATION WILL ALSO BE COLLECTED. FINALLY, A QUALITATIVE INTERVIEW WILL BE OBTAINED AFTER COMPLETION OF THE HOSPITAL AND HOME-BASED PROGRAMS. THIS STUDY WILL DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF A TAILORED YOGA PROGRAM FOR ACUTE AND SUBACUTE POSTOPERATIVE LUMBAR SPINE SURGERY PAIN, ANXIETY, AND FUNCTIONAL OUTCOMES. 2021 2 2117 50 THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON WOMEN WITH SECONDARY ARM LYMPHOEDEMA FROM BREAST CANCER TREATMENT. BACKGROUND: WOMEN WHO DEVELOP SECONDARY ARM LYMPHOEDEMA SUBSEQUENT TO TREATMENT ASSOCIATED WITH BREAST CANCER REQUIRE LIFE-LONG MANAGEMENT FOR A RANGE OF SYMPTOMS INCLUDING ARM SWELLING, HEAVINESS, TIGHTNESS IN THE ARM AND SOMETIMES THE CHEST, UPPER BODY IMPAIRMENT AND CHANGES TO A RANGE OF PARAMETERS RELATING TO QUALITY OF LIFE. WHILE EXERCISE UNDER CONTROLLED CONDITIONS HAS HAD POSITIVE OUTCOMES, THE IMPACT OF YOGA HAS NOT BEEN INVESTIGATED. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY IS TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA IN THE PHYSICAL AND PSYCHO-SOCIAL DOMAINS, IN THE HOPE THAT WOMEN CAN BE OFFERED ANOTHER SAFE, HOLISTIC MODALITY TO HELP CONTROL MANY, IF NOT ALL, OF THE EFFECTS OF SECONDARY ARM LYMPHOEDEMA. METHODS AND DESIGN: A RANDOMISED CONTROLLED PILOT TRIAL WILL BE CONDUCTED IN HOBART AND LAUNCESTON WITH A TOTAL OF 40 WOMEN RECEIVING EITHER YOGA INTERVENTION OR CURRENT BEST PRACTICE CARE. INTERVENTION WILL CONSIST OF EIGHT WEEKS OF A WEEKLY TEACHER-LED YOGA CLASS WITH A HOME-BASED DAILY YOGA PRACTICE DELIVERED BY DVD. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES WILL BE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON LYMPHOEDEMA AND ITS ASSOCIATED SYMPTOMS AND QUALITY OF LIFE. SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES WILL BE RANGE OF MOTION OF THE ARM AND THORACIC SPINE, SHOULDER STRENGTH, AND WEEKLY AND DAILY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOMES WILL BE MEASURED AT BASELINE, WEEKS FOUR, EIGHT AND A FOUR WEEK FOLLOW UP AT WEEK TWELVE. RANGE OF MOTION OF THE SPINE, IN A SELF-NOMINATED GROUP, WILL BE MEASURED AT BASELINE, WEEKS EIGHT AND TWELVE. A FURTHER OUTCOME WILL BE THE WOMEN'S PERCEPTIONS OF THE YOGA COLLECTED BY INTERVIEW AT WEEK EIGHT. DISCUSSION: THE RESULTS OF THIS TRIAL WILL PROVIDE INFORMATION ON THE SAFETY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA FOR WOMEN WITH SECONDARY ARM LYMPHOEDEMA FROM BREAST CANCER TREATMENT. IT WILL ALSO INFORM METHODOLOGY FOR FUTURE, LARGER TRIALS. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ACTRN12611000202965. 2012 3 2695 28 YOGA INFLUENCES RECOVERY DURING INPATIENT REHABILITATION: A PILOT STUDY. PURPOSE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO ADD YOGA THERAPY TO INPATIENT REHABILITATION AND ASSESS WHETHER PATIENTS CHOSE TO ENGAGE IN YOGA THERAPY IN ADDITION TO OTHER DAILY THERAPIES, TO DESCRIBE PATIENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF HOW YOGA THERAPY INFLUENCED RECOVERY, AND TO ASSESS AND DESCRIBE PATIENT SATISFACTION WITH THE PROGRAM. METHODS: THIS WAS A SINGLE-ARM PILOT STUDY, ADDING YOGA THERAPY TO ONGOING INPATIENT REHABILITATION. YOGA THERAPY WAS OFFERED AS GROUP YOGA OR INDIVIDUAL YOGA TWICE A WEEK. SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS WERE COMPLETED VIA TELEPHONE POST-DISCHARGE. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF 55 OF THE 77 (71%) PEOPLE CONTACTED ABOUT THE STUDY ENGAGED IN YOGA THERAPY IN THE INPATIENT REHABILITATION SETTING FOR THIS STUDY AND 31 (56%) OF THESE COMPLETED THE SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS. QUALITATIVE DATA SUPPORT THAT PARTICIPANTS PERCEIVED THAT YOGA THERAPY IMPROVED BREATHING, RELAXATION, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLBEING. OVERALL, PARTICIPANTS WERE SATISFIED WITH THE PROGRAM, ALTHOUGH THEY OFTEN INDICATED THEY WOULD LIKE INCREASED FLEXIBILITY OR FREQUENCY OF YOGA. ALMOST ALL PARTICIPANTS (97%) SAID THEY WOULD RECOMMEND THE YOGA THERAPY PROGRAM TO OTHERS IN INPATIENT REHABILITATION. CONCLUSION: WE WERE ABLE TO ADD YOGA THERAPY TO ONGOING INPATIENT REHABILITATION AND PARTICIPANTS PERCEIVED BENEFITS OF HAVING THE YOGA THERAPY IN THEIR REHABILITATION STAY. 2015 4 87 42 A MIXED METHODS EVALUATION OF AN INDIVIDUALISED YOGA THERAPY INTERVENTION FOR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: PILOT STUDY. OBJECTIVES: TO EXPLORE PATIENTS' EXPERIENCES OF AN INDIVIDUALISED YOGA THERAPY INTERVENTION FOR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA), SPECIFICALLY IN TERMS OF ITS ACCEPTABILITY AND IMPACT ON PATIENT-REPORTED OUTCOMES. DESIGN: TEN PATIENTS TOOK PART IN A 16 WEEK YOGA THERAPY INTERVENTION IN A HOSPITAL SETTING, CONSISTING OF 10 ONE-TO-ONE CONSULTATIONS WITH A YOGA THERAPIST FOLLOWED BY TWO GROUP REVIEW SESSIONS. CHANGES IN HEALTH (EQ-5D, HADS) WERE ASSESSED PRE- AND POST-INTERVENTION AND AT 12-MONTH FOLLOW-UP. IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED POST-INTERVENTION AND ANALYSED USING THEMATIC ANALYSIS. RESULTS: ATTENDANCE OF THE 1-TO-1 SESSIONS WAS HIGH (98 %) AND ALL PARTICIPANTS REPORTED STRONG COMMITMENT TO THEIR PERSONALISED HOME PRACTICE. THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN MEASURES OF DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, PAIN, QUALITY OF LIFE AND GENERAL HEALTH AT POST-INTERVENTION AND 12-MONTHS (P < 0.05). IN INTERVIEWS, ALL BUT ONE PARTICIPANT REPORTED POSITIVE CHANGES TO THEIR SYMPTOMS AND SEVERAL REPORTED REDUCTIONS IN THEIR MEDICATION AND BROADER BENEFITS SUCH AS IMPROVED SLEEP, MOOD AND ENERGY, ENABLING RE-ENGAGEMENT WITH LIFE. THE PERSONALLY TAILORED NATURE OF THE PRACTICE AND PERCEIVED BENEFITS WERE KEY MOTIVATIONAL FACTORS. PARTICULAR VALUE WAS PLACED ON THE THERAPEUTIC FUNCTION OF THE CONSULTATION AND PROVISION OF TOOLS TO MANAGE STRESS AND BUILD RESILIENCE. CONCLUSION: THIS YOGA THERAPY INTERVENTION WAS POSITIVELY RECEIVED BY PATIENTS WITH RA, WITH HIGH LEVELS OF ADHERENCE TO BOTH THE TREATMENTS AND TAILORED HOME PRACTICE. THE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT YOGA THERAPY HAS POTENTIAL AS AN ADJUNCT THERAPY TO IMPROVE RA SYMPTOMS, INCREASE SELF-CARE BEHAVIOURS AND MANAGE STRESS AND NEGATIVE AFFECT SUCH AS ANXIETY. A LARGER MULTI-CENTRE STUDY IS THEREFORE WARRANTED. 2020 5 901 41 EFFECTIVENESS OF A BRIEF ADJUNCTIVE YOGA INTERVENTION FOR SHORT-TERM MOOD AND PSYCHIATRIC SYMPTOM CHANGE DURING PARTIAL HOSPITALIZATION. OBJECTIVE: EVIDENCE CONCERNING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA IN PARTIAL HOSPITAL PROGRAMS IS LIMITED. YET, PARTIAL HOSPITALS PROVIDE TREATMENT AT A CRITICAL JUNCTURE BY BRIDGING INPATIENT AND OUTPATIENT CARE. THE PRESENT STUDY TESTED THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A SINGLE-SESSION GROUP YOGA INTERVENTION FOR SHORT-TERM MOOD AND PSYCHIATRIC SYMPTOM CHANGE IN PARTICIPANTS ATTENDING A 1- TO 2-WEEK PARTIAL HOSPITAL PROGRAM. METHOD: PARTICIPANTS INCLUDED 104 PARTIAL HOSPITAL PATIENTS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE SINGLE-SESSION YOGA INTERVENTION AND COMPLETED A MEASURE OF POSITIVE/NEGATIVE AFFECT BEFORE AND AFTER THE GROUP. PARTICIPANTS, AS WELL AS PARTIAL HOSPITAL PATIENTS WHO DID NOT ATTEND THE YOGA INTERVENTION (N = 438), COMPLETED MEASURES OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY SYMPTOMS AT ADMISSION AND DISCHARGE FROM THE PROGRAM. AT DISCHARGE, THEY ALSO RATED THEIR PERCEIVED IMPROVEMENT AND THE OVERALL QUALITY OF THE CARE THEY RECEIVED. RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS WHO ATTENDED THE YOGA INTERVENTION EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE AFFECT DURING THE GROUP. THEY DID NOT SHOW GREATER IMPROVEMENTS IN SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY OR DEPRESSION OVER THE COURSE OF TREATMENT COMPARED TO INDIVIDUALS WHO DID NOT ATTEND THE GROUP. YOGA INTERVENTION PARTICIPANTS NONETHELESS GAVE HIGHER RATINGS TO THE QUALITY OF THE CARE THEY RECEIVED. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: FINDINGS DEMONSTRATED THAT ATTENDING A SINGLE YOGA SESSION DURING PARTIAL HOSPITALIZATION WAS ASSOCIATED WITH SHORT-TERM MOOD BENEFITS, AND WITH ENHANCED OVERALL PERCEPTIONS OF TREATMENT. FURTHER RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO DETERMINE THE CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH PARTICIPATION IN YOGA DURING PARTIAL HOSPITALIZATION COULD CONTRIBUTE TO SYMPTOM CHANGE IN THIS CONTEXT. (PSYCINFO DATABASE RECORD (C) 2019 APA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED). 2019 6 115 25 A PILOT STUDY OF A YOGA INTERVENTION FOR THE TREATMENT OF ANXIETY IN YOUNG PEOPLE WITH EARLY PSYCHOSIS. BACKGROUND: ANXIETY IS COMMON IN YOUNG PEOPLE WITH EARLY PSYCHOSIS AND TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR THIS CO-MORBIDITY REMAIN LIMITED. YOGA IS A PROMISING ADJUNCT INTERVENTION THAT HAS BEEN SHOWN TO REDUCE ANXIETY FOR ADULTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA, THEREFORE THIS PILOT STUDY EVALUATED THE ACCEPTABILITY AND POTENTIAL EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA FOR ANXIETY IN EARLY PSYCHOSIS. METHODS: A PROSPECTIVE SINGLE ARM PILOT STUDY OF A YOGA INTERVENTION WAS CONDUCTED WITHIN AN EARLY INTERVENTION FOR PSYCHOSIS SERVICE. RATES OF ATTENDANCE, AS WELL AS SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY PRE AND POST YOGA SESSION WERE MEASURED. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF 14 YOUNG PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY AND OVER 70% ATTENDED HALF OR MORE OF THE YOGA SESSIONS OFFERED. SIGNIFICANT TRANSIENT REDUCTION IN STATE ANXIETY AFTER A SINGLE SESSION OF YOGA WAS OBSERVED (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: YOGA WAS FOUND TO BE AN ACCEPTABLE AND POTENTIALLY EFFECTIVE ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT FOR ANXIETY IN EARLY PSYCHOSIS AND THE RESULTS WARRANT FURTHER CLINICAL TRIALS. 2022 7 2235 26 THE IMPACT OF YOGA UPON FEMALE PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM HYPOTHYROIDISM. OBJECTIVE: TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF FEMALE HYPOTHYROID PATIENTS. DESIGN: THE WHO QUALITY OF LIFE SCALE(22) WAS USED TO ASSESS THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF 20 FEMALE HYPOTHYROID PATIENTS. SUBJECTS ATTENDED ONE HOUR YOGA SESSIONS DAILY FOR A PERIOD OF ONE MONTH. A PRETEST-POST-TEST RESEARCH DESIGN WAS USED FOR DATA ANALYSIS. RESULTS: PATIENTS' QUALITY OF LIFE SCORES FOLLOWING THE YOGA PROGRAM WERE GREATER THAN SCORES OBTAINED PRIOR TO UNDERTAKING YOGA (P < 0.01). PATIENTS ALSO REPORTED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN THEIR PERCEPTION OF THE OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE AND OF THEIR HEALTH POST YOGA INTERVENTION. CONCLUSIONS: IT CAN BE CONCLUDED THAT YOGA IS VALUABLE IN HELPING THE HYPOTHYROID PATIENTS TO MANAGE THEIR DISEASE-RELATED SYMPTOMS. YOGA MAY BE CONSIDERED AS SUPPORTIVE OR COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY IN CONJUNCTION WITH MEDICAL THERAPY FOR THE TREATMENT OF HYPOTHYROID DISORDER. 2011 8 1413 26 IMPLEMENTING YOGA INTO THE MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS WITH REFRACTORY LOW BACK PAIN IN AN OUTPATIENT CLINIC SETTING. PURPOSE: TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF IMPLEMENTING YOGA INTO THE TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. DESIGN: QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS WITH OPPORTUNITY FOR QUALITATIVE FEEDBACK. METHOD: EFFECTIVENESS OF THIS COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENT WAS ASSESSED USING A PRETEST/POSTTEST DESIGN OF PATIENTS WHO VOLUNTEERED TO PARTICIPATE IN YOGA CLASSES AS PART OF THEIR BACK PAIN MANAGEMENT. MEASUREMENTS INCLUDED LOW BACK PAIN RATING, PERCEPTION OF BACK PAIN INTERFERENCE WITH DAILY ACTIVITIES, AND SELF-EFFICACY IN DEALING WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN. FINDINGS: ALTHOUGH NO STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT FINDINGS WERE FOUND DUE TO THE SMALL SAMPLE SIZE, MOST PARTICIPANTS DEMONSTRATED IMPROVED INDIVIDUAL SCORES ON ALL MEASUREMENT SURVEYS INCLUDING QUALITATIVE COMMENTS. CONCLUSION: BASED ON THE FINDINGS OF THIS PILOT STUDY, FURTHER STUDIES ON IMPLEMENTING YOGA INTO THE TREATMENT OF CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN ARE ENCOURAGED. 2019 9 1242 39 FEASIBILITY OF A YOGA INTERVENTION TO DECREASE PAIN IN OLDER WOMEN: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED PILOT STUDY. BACKGROUND: A SIGNIFICANT PROPORTION OF OLDER WOMEN SUFFER FROM CHRONIC PAIN, WHICH CAN DECREASE QUALITY OF LIFE. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PILOT RANDOMIZED STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE THE FEASIBILITY OF A FLOW-RESTORATIVE YOGA INTERVENTION DESIGNED TO DECREASE PAIN AND RELATED OUTCOMES AMONG WOMEN AGED 60 OR OLDER. METHODS: FLOW-RESTORATIVE YOGA CLASSES WERE HELD TWICE WEEKLY FOR 1 HOUR AND LED BY A CERTIFIED YOGA INSTRUCTOR. PARTICIPANTS RANDOMIZED TO THE INTERVENTION GROUP ATTENDED THE YOGA CLASSES FOR 12 WEEKS AND RECEIVED SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS FOR AT-HOME PRACTICE. THOSE RANDOMIZED TO THE CONTROL GROUP WERE ASKED TO MAINTAIN THEIR NORMAL DAILY ROUTINE. FEASIBILITY WAS EVALUATED USING RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION RATES, CLASS AND HOME PRACTICE ADHERENCE RATES, AND PARTICIPANT SATISFACTION SURVEYS. OUTCOME MEASURES (SELF-REPORTED PAIN, INFLAMMATORY MARKERS, FUNCTIONAL FITNESS, QUALITY OF LIFE, RESILIENCE, AND SELF-REPORTED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY) WERE ASSESSED AT BASELINE AND POST-INTERVENTION. PAIRED T-TESTS OR WILCOXON SIGNED-RANK TESTS WERE USED TO EXAMINE CHANGES IN OUTCOME MEASURES WITHIN TREATMENT GROUPS. RESULTS: THIRTY-EIGHT PARTICIPANTS WERE RECRUITED AND RANDOMIZED. PARTICIPANTS WERE PRIMARILY WHITE, COLLEGE-EDUCATED, AND HIGHER FUNCTIONING, DESPITE EXPERIENCING VARIOUS FORMS OF CHRONIC PAIN. ATTENDANCE AND RETENTION RATES WERE HIGH (91 AND 97%, RESPECTIVELY) AND THE MAJORITY OF PARTICIPANTS WERE SATISFIED WITH THE YOGA PROGRAM (89%) AND WOULD RECOMMEND IT TO OTHERS (87%). INTERVENTION PARTICIPANTS ALSO EXPERIENCED REDUCTIONS IN PAIN INTERFERENCE AND IMPROVEMENTS IN ENERGY AND SOCIAL FUNCTIONING. CONCLUSIONS: THIS PILOT STUDY PROVIDES ESSENTIAL DATA TO INFORM A FULL SCALE RANDOMIZED TRIAL OF FLOW-RESTORATIVE YOGA FOR OLDER WOMEN WITH CHRONIC PAIN. FUTURE STUDIES SHOULD EMPHASIZE STRATEGIES TO RECRUIT A MORE DIVERSE STUDY POPULATION, PARTICULARLY OLDER WOMEN AT HIGHER RISK OF DISABILITY AND FUNCTIONAL DECLINE. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV , NCT03790098 . REGISTERED 31 DECEMBER 2018 - RETROSPECTIVELY REGISTERED. 2020 10 1106 37 EFFECTS OF YOGA, AEROBIC, AND STRETCHING AND TONING EXERCISES ON COGNITION IN ADULT CANCER SURVIVORS: PROTOCOL OF THE STAY FIT PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: CANCER SURVIVORS EXPERIENCE COMPROMISED QUALITY OF LIFE DUE TO IMPAIRED COGNITIVE FUNCTION AS A RESULT OF CANCER DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT. ALTHOUGH EXERCISE HAS PROVEN TO BE EFFECTIVE IN IMPROVING COGNITIVE FUNCTION ACROSS THE LIFESPAN, INTERVENTIONS COMPREHENSIVELY TESTING THE EFFECTIVENESS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS ARE LIMITED. THE STAY FIT TRIAL IS A THREE-ARMED PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL DESIGNED TO COMPARE THE EFFECTS OF A 12-WEEK YOGA, AEROBIC WALKING, AND STRETCH AND TONE INTERVENTION ON COGNITIVE FUNCTION AMONG ADULT CANCER SURVIVORS. METHODS: THIS PILOT STUDY AIMS TO RECRUIT 75 ADULT CANCER SURVIVORS WHO WILL COMPLETE ASSESSMENTS OF COGNITIVE FUNCTION, CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, AND PSYCHOSOCIAL MEASURES AT BASELINE AND AFTER THE 12-WEEK INTERVENTION. THE AIMS OF STAY FIT ARE (1) TO ASSESS THE EFFICACY OF YOGA TO IMPROVE COGNITIVE FUNCTION AMONG CANCER SURVIVORS, COMPARED TO AEROBIC EXERCISE AND AN ACTIVE CONTROL GROUP; (2) TO EXAMINE CHANGES IN CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS AS A RESULT OF THE INTERVENTIONS; AND (3) TO ASSESS CHANGES IN QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG OUR POPULATION AS A RESULT OF THE EXERCISE INTERVENTIONS. DISCUSSION: THE STAY FIT TRIAL WILL TEST THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA, AEROBIC EXERCISE, AND STRETCHING AND TONING EXERCISES IN IMPROVING COGNITIVE FUNCTION AND FITNESS AMONG ADULT CANCER SURVIVORS. THE RESULTS OF THIS PILOT STUDY WILL ENABLE US TO UNDERSTAND THE MOST EFFECTIVE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY MODALITY TO IMPROVE COGNITIVE FUNCTION IN THIS POPULATION AND POTENTIALLY COMBAT CANCER-RELATED COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV NCT03650322 . REGISTERED ON 28 AUGUST 2018. 2020 11 2579 31 YOGA FOR HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE IN ADULT CANCER: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED FEASIBILITY STUDY. AN INCREASE IN PATIENT-LED UPTAKE OF COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES IN ADULT CANCER HAS LED TO A NEED FOR MORE RIGOROUS STUDY OF SUCH INTERVENTIONS AND THEIR OUTCOMES. THIS STUDY THEREFORE AIMED TO EVALUATE THE FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY OF A YOGA INTERVENTION IN MEN AND WOMEN RECEIVING CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT FOR A CANCER DIAGNOSIS. PROSPECTIVE, MIXED METHODS FEASIBILITY TRIAL ALLOCATED PARTICIPANTS TO RECEIVE ONE OF THREE YOGA INTERVENTIONS OVER A FOUR-WEEK STUDY PERIOD. DATA COLLECTION WAS COMPLETED THROUGH ONLINE SURVEY OF QOL-CA/CS AND CUSTOMIZED SURVEYS. FIFTEEN PARTICIPANTS WERE INCLUDED (11 FEMALE) UNDERGOING TREATMENT FOR BREAST, PROSTATE, COLORECTAL, BRAIN, AND BLOOD AND LUNG CANCER. TWO PARTICIPANTS DROPPED OUT AND COMPLETE QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE DATA SETS WERE COLLECTED FROM 12 PARTICIPANTS AND FOUR YOGA INSTRUCTORS. OTHER OUTCOME MEASURES INCLUDED IMPLEMENTATION COSTS PATIENT-REPORTED PREFERENCES FOR YOGA INTERVENTION AND CHANGES IN QOL-CA/CS. THREE TYPES OF YOGA INTERVENTION WERE SAFELY ADMINISTERED IN ADULT CANCER. MIXED METHODS, COST-EFFICIENCY, QOL-CA/CS, AND EVIDENCE-BASED DESIGN OF YOGA INTERVENTION HAVE BEEN USED TO ESTABLISH FEASIBILITY AND PATIENT-PREFERENCES FOR YOGA DELIVERY IN ADULT CANER. RESULTS SUGGEST THAT, WITH SOME METHODOLOGICAL IMPROVEMENTS, A LARGE-SCALE RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL IS WARRANTED TO TEST THE EFFICACY OF YOGA FOR MALE AND FEMALE CANCER PATIENTS. THIS TRIAL IS REGISTERED WITH CLINICALTRIALS.GOV NCT02309112. 2015 12 1684 29 OPEN TRIAL OF VINYASA YOGA FOR PERSISTENTLY DEPRESSED INDIVIDUALS: EVIDENCE OF FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE ACCEPTABILITY AND FEASIBILITY OF VINYASA YOGA AS AN ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSED PATIENTS WHO WERE NOT RESPONDING ADEQUATELY TO ANTIDEPRESSANT MEDICATION. THE AUTHORS ALSO PLANNED TO ASK PARTICIPANTS FOR QUALITATIVE FEEDBACK ON THEIR EXPERIENCE OF THE CLASS AND TO ASSESS CHANGE OVER TIME IN DEPRESSION AND IN POSSIBLE MEDIATING VARIABLES. THE AUTHORS RECRUITED 11 PARTICIPANTS IN 1 MONTH FOR AN 8-WEEK OPEN TRIAL OF YOGA CLASSES. THEY FOUND THAT 10 PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED FOLLOW-UP ASSESSMENTS, 9 OF 10 WERE POSITIVE ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE, AND ALL PROVIDED FEEDBACK ABOUT WHAT WAS AND WAS NOT HELPFUL ABOUT YOGA, AS WELL AS BARRIERS TO CLASS ATTENDANCE. OVER THE 2-MONTH PERIOD, PARTICIPANTS EXHIBITED SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS AND SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN AN ASPECT OF MINDFULNESS AND IN BEHAVIOR ACTIVATION. THIS PILOT STUDY PROVIDED SUPPORT FOR CONTINUING TO INVESTIGATE VINYASA YOGA AS AN ADJUNCT TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSION. THE NEXT STEP REQUIRED IS A RIGOROUS RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL. 2010 13 1243 40 FEASIBILITY OF A YOGA, AEROBIC AND STRETCHING-TONING EXERCISE PROGRAM FOR ADULT CANCER SURVIVORS: THE STAYFIT TRIAL. BACKGROUND: THE USE OF YOGA AS A MIND-BODY PRACTICE HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY POPULAR AMONG CLINICAL POPULATIONS AND OLDER ADULTS WHO USE THIS PRACTICE TO MANAGE AGE AND CHRONIC DISEASE-RELATED SYMPTOMS. ALTHOUGH YOGA CONTINUES TO GAIN POPULARITY AMONG PRACTITIONERS AND RESEARCHERS, PILOT STUDIES THAT EXAMINE ITS FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY, ESPECIALLY AMONG CANCER SURVIVORS, ARE LIMITED. FEASIBILITY STUDIES PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE IN DETERMINING WHETHER THE TARGET POPULATION IS LIKELY TO ENGAGE WITH LARGER SCALE EFFICACY AND EFFECTIVENESS TRIALS. IN THIS PAPER WE PRESENT FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY DATA FROM A 12-WEEK RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL (RCT) CONDUCTED WITH ADULT CANCER SURVIVORS. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS N = 78 (MEAN AGE: 55 YEARS) WERE RANDOMIZED TO ONE OF THREE GROUPS: A HATHA YOGA, AEROBIC EXERCISE, OR STRETCHING-TONING CONTROL GROUP WITH GROUP EXERCISE CLASSES HELD FOR 150 MIN/WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS. HEREIN WE REPORT FEASIBILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY, INCLUDING ENROLLMENT RATES, ATTENDANCE, ATTRITION AND ADVERSE EVENTS, AND PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK AND SATISFACTION DATA. RESULTS: OF THE 233 ADULTS SCREENED, 109 WERE ELIGIBLE AND 78 RANDOMIZED TO ONE OF THE THREE INTERVENTION ARMS. SESSION ATTENDANCE WAS HIGH FOR ALL GROUPS (75.5-89.5%) AND 17 PARTICIPANTS DROPPED OUT DURING THE 12-WEEK INTERVENTION. PROGRAM SATISFACTION WAS HIGH (4.8 OR HIGHER OUT OF 5) AND NO ADVERSE EVENTS WERE REPORTED. ONE COHORT (N = 15) OF THE INTERVENTION TRANSITIONED TO REMOTE INTERVENTION DELIVERY DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. FEASIBILITY DATA FROM THESE PARTICIPANTS SUGGESTED THAT SYNCHRONIZED GROUP EXERCISE CLASSES VIA ZOOM WITH A LIVE INSTRUCTOR WERE ACCEPTABLE AND ENJOYABLE. PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK REGARDING MOST AND LEAST HELPFUL ASPECTS OF THE PROGRAM AS WELL AS SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE YOGA INTERVENTIONS ARE SUMMARIZED. CONCLUSIONS: OVERALL, THE YOGA INTERVENTION WAS HIGHLY FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE. THE FEASIBILITY PARAMETERS FROM THIS TRIAL CAN AID RESEARCHERS IN ESTIMATING RECRUITMENT RATES FOR DESIRED SAMPLE SIZES TO SUCCESSFULLY RANDOMIZE AND RETAIN CANCER SURVIVORS IN SHORT- AND LONG-TERM YOGA-BASED EFFICACY AND EFFECTIVENESS TRIALS. THE FINDINGS ALSO PROVIDE EVIDENCE TO CLINICIANS WHO CAN RECOMMEND UP TO 150 MIN OF A COMBINATION OF EXERCISES-AEROBIC, YOGA, OR STRETCHING-TONING TO THEIR CANCER PATIENTS IN ORDER TO IMPROVE HEALTH AND WELLBEING DURING CANCER SURVIVORSHIP. 2021 14 609 53 DEVELOPMENT OF A MODIFIED YOGA PROGRAM FOR PULMONARY HYPERTENSION: A CASE SERIES. BACKGROUND: PULMONARY HYPERTENSION (PH) IS A HEMODYNAMIC CONDITION IN WHICH THE PRESSURE IN THE BED OF THE PULMONARY ARTERIES IS ELEVATED. ALTHOUGH MEDICATIONS HAVE IMPROVED BOTH SYMPTOMS AND MORTALITY, PH REMAINS A DEBILITATING AND DEVASTATING DISEASE. LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF NONPHARMACOLOGIC APPROACHES, SUCH AS YOGA AND MEDITATIVE BREATHING, IN TREATMENT OF THE DISEASE. OBJECTIVE: GIVEN THE UNIQUE HEMODYNAMIC CONCERNS OF PH PATIENTS, THE RESEARCH TEAM INTENDED TO DESCRIBE THE DEVELOPMENT AND SUBSEQUENT INITIATION OF A THERAPEUTIC TREATMENT PLAN THAT USES MODIFIED YOGA AND TO EVALUATE ITS BENEFITS AND SAFETY. DESIGN: THIS STUDY WAS A CASE SERIES WITH 3 PH PATIENTS OF VARYING FUNCTIONAL ABILITIES. EACH PATIENT WAS PROVIDED WITH A DVD, ACCESS TO YOUTUBE VIDEO SEGMENTS, AND A DOWNLOAD OF THE YOGA FOR PH APPLICATION. THE PATIENTS WERE ASKED TO DOCUMENT THEIR USE OF THE HOME EXERCISE REGIMEN AND JOURNAL AROUND THEIR SUBJECTIVE OBSERVATIONS. THEY WERE ALSO ADMINISTERED THE HEALTH PROMOTING LIFESTYLE PROFILE II (HPLPII) AT THE BEGINNING AND END OF THE 8 WK. SETTING: THE STUDY TOOK PLACE IN A TERTIARY CARE, ACADEMIC HOSPITAL IN A LARGE URBAN SETTING. PARTICIPANTS: IN THIS CASE SERIES, 3 PATIENTS WITH GROUP 1 PULMONARY ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION, WITH VARYING FUNCTIONAL ABILITIES, ARE DESCRIBED. INTERVENTION: THREE DISCREET YOGA PROGRAMS WERE DESIGNED WITH MODIFICATIONS SPECIFIC TO PH PATIENTS: CHAIR YOGA, INTERMEDIATE YOGA WITH A CHAIR ASSIST, AND EXPERIENCED YOGA. PATIENTS WERE PROVIDED WITH A VIDEO, YOGA FOR PH, IN THE FORM OF A DVD, A VIDEO ON YOUTUBE, AND A DOWNLOADABLE APPLICATION AND WERE INSTRUCTED TO LOG ACTIVITY AND SUBJECTIVE MARKERS OF WELL-BEING. OUTCOME MEASURES: SUBJECTIVE AND OBJECTIVE EFFECTS ON CLINICAL, PHYSICAL FUNCTION, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL OUTCOMES WERE MEASURED. SUBJECTIVE EFFECTS WERE IDENTIFIED THROUGH JOURNALING AS WELL AS THE SELF-ADMINISTERED QUESTIONNAIRE HPLPII. WHEN AVAILABLE, 6-MIN WALK DISTANCE (6MWD) TESTING AND OXYGEN SATURATION WERE ALSO USED. RESULTS: THE MODIFIED YOGA PROGRAM PROVED FEASIBLE, SAFE, AND EFFECTIVE IN THE 3 DESCRIBED CASES. PATIENTS DESCRIBED DECREASES IN ANXIETY AND JOINT PAIN, WITH IMPROVEMENTS IN HEALTH-PROMOTING BEHAVIORS AS MEASURED BY THE HPLPII. OVERALL MEAN SCORES FOR HEALTH-PROMOTING LIFESTYLE INCREASED IN EACH PATIENT, THOUGH DUE TO THE SMALL SAMPLE SIZE, STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE CANNOT BE MEASURED. NO PATIENT EXPERIENCED AN ADVERSE EVENT ASSOCIATED WITH THE PRACTICE. CONCLUSIONS: THE MODIFIED YOGA PROGRAM FOR PH PATIENTS CAN PROVIDE A STANDARDIZED, ACCESSIBLE STARTING POINT FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THE FEASIBILITY, EFFICACY, AND SAFETY OF SUCH A PROGRAM ON A LARGER SCALE. 2015 15 2383 26 YOGA & CANCER INTERVENTIONS: A REVIEW OF THE CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF PATIENT REPORTED OUTCOMES FOR CANCER SURVIVORS. LIMITED RESEARCH SUGGESTS YOGA MAY BE A VIABLE GENTLE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OPTION WITH A VARIETY OF HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE, PSYCHOSOCIAL AND SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT BENEFITS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS REVIEW WAS TO DETERMINE THE CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF PATIENT-REPORTED OUTCOMES FROM YOGA INTERVENTIONS CONDUCTED WITH CANCER SURVIVORS. A TOTAL OF 25 PUBLISHED YOGA INTERVENTION STUDIES FOR CANCER SURVIVORS FROM 2004-2011 HAD PATIENT-REPORTED OUTCOMES, INCLUDING QUALITY OF LIFE, PSYCHOSOCIAL OR SYMPTOM MEASURES. THIRTEEN OF THESE STUDIES MET THE NECESSARY CRITERIA TO ASSESS CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE FOR EACH OF THE OUTCOMES OF INTEREST WAS EXAMINED BASED ON 1 STANDARD ERROR OF THE MEASUREMENT, 0.5 STANDARD DEVIATION, AND RELATIVE COMPARATIVE EFFECT SIZES AND THEIR RESPECTIVE CONFIDENCE INTERVALS. THIS REVIEW DESCRIBES IN DETAIL THESE PATIENT-REPORTED OUTCOMES, HOW THEY WERE OBTAINED, THEIR RELATIVE CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPLICATIONS FOR BOTH CLINICAL AND RESEARCH SETTINGS. OVERALL, CLINICALLY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN PATIENT-REPORTED OUTCOMES SUGGEST THAT YOGA INTERVENTIONS HOLD PROMISE FOR IMPROVING CANCER SURVIVORS' WELL-BEING. THIS RESEARCH OVERVIEW PROVIDES NEW DIRECTIONS FOR EXAMINING HOW CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE CAN PROVIDE A UNIQUE CONTEXT FOR DESCRIBING CHANGES IN PATIENT-REPORTED OUTCOMES FROM YOGA INTERVENTIONS. RESEARCHERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO EMPLOY INDICES OF CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE IN THE INTERPRETATION AND DISCUSSION OF RESULTS FROM YOGA STUDIES. 2012 16 175 42 A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL EXAMINING IYENGAR YOGA FOR YOUNG ADULTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: A STUDY PROTOCOL. BACKGROUND: RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS IS A CHRONIC, DISABLING DISEASE THAT CAN COMPROMISE MOBILITY, DAILY FUNCTIONING, AND HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE, ESPECIALLY IN OLDER ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS. IN THIS PROJECT, WE WILL COMPARE A STANDARDIZED IYENGAR YOGA PROGRAM FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS TO A STANDARD CARE WAIT-LIST CONTROL CONDITION. METHODS/DESIGN: SEVENTY RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS PATIENTS AGED 16-35 YEARS WILL BE RANDOMIZED INTO EITHER THE 6-WEEK IYENGAR YOGA PROGRAM (12 - 1.5 HOUR SESSIONS TWICE WEEKLY) OR THE 6-WEEK WAIT-LIST CONTROL CONDITION. A 20% ATTRITION RATE IS ANTICIPATED. THE WAIT-LIST GROUP WILL RECEIVE THE YOGA PROGRAM FOLLOWING COMPLETION OF THE FIRST ARM OF THE STUDY. WE WILL COLLECT DATA QUANTITATIVELY, USING QUESTIONNAIRES AND MARKERS OF DISEASE ACTIVITY, AND QUALITATIVELY USING SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS. ASSESSMENTS INCLUDE STANDARDIZED MEASURES OF GENERAL AND ARTHRITIS-SPECIFIC FUNCTION, PAIN, MOOD, AND HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE, AS WELL AS QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS, BLOOD PRESSURE/RESTING HEART RATE MEASUREMENTS, A MEDICAL EXAM AND THE ASSESSMENT OF PRO-INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES. DATA WILL BE COLLECTED THREE TIMES: BEFORE TREATMENT, POST-TREATMENT, AND TWO MONTHS FOLLOWING THE TREATMENT. DISCUSSION: RESULTS FROM THIS STUDY WILL PROVIDE CRITICAL DATA ON NON-PHARMACOLOGIC METHODS FOR ENHANCING FUNCTION IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS PATIENTS. IN PARTICULAR, RESULTS WILL SHED LIGHT ON THE FEASIBILITY AND POTENTIAL EFFICACY OF A NOVEL INTERVENTION FOR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS SYMPTOMS, PAVING THE WAY FOR A LARGER CLINICAL TRIAL. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CLINICALTRIALS.GOV NCT01096823. 2011 17 2754 36 YOGA PRACTICE PREDICTS IMPROVEMENTS IN DAY-TO-DAY PAIN IN WOMEN WITH METASTATIC BREAST CANCER. CONTEXT: WOMEN WITH METASTATIC BREAST CANCER (MBC) EXPERIENCE A SIGNIFICANT SYMPTOM BURDEN, INCLUDING CANCER PAIN. YOGA IS A MIND-BODY DISCIPLINE THAT HAS SHOWN PROMISE FOR ALLEVIATING CANCER PAIN, BUT FEW STUDIES HAVE INCLUDED PATIENTS WITH METASTATIC DISEASE OR EXAMINED THE ACUTE EFFECTS OF YOGA PRACTICE. OBJECTIVES: TO DETERMINE WHETHER DAILY PAIN CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY DURING A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF THE MINDFUL YOGA PROGRAM AMONG WOMEN WITH MBC AND WHETHER TIME SPENT IN YOGA PRACTICE WAS RELATED TO DAILY PAIN. METHODS: ON ALTERNATE WEEKS DURING THE INTERVENTION PERIOD, WE COLLECTED DAILY MEASURES OF PAIN FROM A SUBSET OF 48 WOMEN RANDOMIZED TO EITHER YOGA (N = 30) OR A SUPPORT GROUP CONDITION (N = 18). WE ALSO ASSESSED DAILY DURATION OF YOGA PRACTICE AMONG PATIENTS RANDOMIZED TO YOGA. RESULTS: PAIN LEVELS WERE LOW FOR WOMEN IN BOTH CONDITIONS, AND NO DIFFERENTIAL TREATMENT EFFECTS WERE FOUND ON DAILY PAIN. HOWEVER, AMONG WOMEN RANDOMIZED TO YOGA, A DOSE/RESPONSE RELATIONSHIP WAS FOUND BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE DURATION AND DAILY PAIN. WHEN PATIENTS HAD SPENT RELATIVELY MORE TIME PRACTICING YOGA ACROSS TWO CONSECUTIVE DAYS, THEY WERE MORE LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE LOWER PAIN ON THE NEXT DAY. THIS FINDING IS CONSISTENT WITH AN EARLIER MBC STUDY. MEDITATION PRACTICE SHOWED THE STRONGEST ASSOCIATION WITH LOWER DAILY PAIN. CONCLUSION: FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT YOGA PRACTICE (MEDITATION PRACTICE IN PARTICULAR) IS ASSOCIATED WITH ACUTE IMPROVEMENTS IN CANCER PAIN, AND THAT YOGA INTERVENTIONS MAY BE MORE IMPACTFUL IF TESTED IN A SAMPLE OF PATIENTS WITH ADVANCED CANCER IN WHICH PAIN IS RELATIVELY ELEVATED. 2021 18 2036 50 TELE-YOGA IN LONG TERM ILLNESS-PROTOCOL FOR A RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL INCLUDING A PROCESS EVALUATION AND RESULTS FROM A PILOT STUDY. BACKGROUND: FOR PEOPLE WITH LONG-TERM ILLNESS, DEBILITATED BY SEVERE SYMPTOMS, IT CAN BE DIFFICULT TO ATTEND REGULAR YOGA CLASSES. WE HAVE THEREFORE DEVELOPED A TELE-HEALTH FORMAT OF YOGA THAT CAN BE DELIVERED IN THE HOME. THE TELE-YOGA WAS CO-DESIGNED WITH MEMBERS OF A PATIENT-ORGANISATION, YOGA-INSTRUCTOR, AND IT-TECHNICIAN. IT INCLUDES LIVE-STREAMED GROUP-YOGA SESSIONS TWICE A WEEK AND AN APP WITH INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO SELF-PERFORM YOGA. AIM: TO DESCRIBE A STUDY PROTOCOL FOR A RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL (RCT) INCLUDING A PROCESS EVALUATION AND REPORT ON A PILOT STUDY EVALUATING METHOD- AND INTERVENTION-RELATED COMPONENTS INCLUDING FEASIBILITY, SAFETY, AND EFFICACY. METHODS: TEN PARTICIPANTS WITH HEART FAILURE AGED BETWEEN 41-76 YEARS WERE RANDOMISED TO TELE-YOGA (N = 5) OR TO THE CONTROL GROUP (N = 5). IN THE PILOT STUDY RECRUITMENT, ENROLMENT, RANDOMISATION, AND DATA COLLECTION OF ALL OUTCOMES INCLUDING PRIMARY, SECONDARY AND PROCESS EVALUATION MEASURES WERE TESTED ACCORDING TO THE STUDY PROTOCOL. FIDELITY, ADHERENCE AND ACCEPTABILITY TO THE TELE-YOGA GROUP TRAINING AND APP USE WAS DETERMINED. SAFETY WAS ASSESSED BY ADVERSE EVENTS. RESULTS: THE PILOT REVEALED THAT THE METHODOLOGICAL ASPECT OF THE PROTOCOL WORKED SUFFICIENTLY IN ALL ASPECTS EXCEPT FOR MISSING DATA IN THE PHYSICAL TEST OF TWO PARTICIPANTS AND ONE PARTICIPANT IN THE CONTROL-GROUP THAT DROPPED OUT OF THE STUDY AT THREE MONTHS FOLLOW-UP. THE TELE-YOGA TRAINING DID NOT LEAD TO ANY ADVERSE EVENTS OR INJURIES, ADHERENCE OF TELE-YOGA WAS SUFFICIENT ACCORDING TO PRESET LIMITS. THE TELE-YOGA INTERVENTION ALSO SHOWED SOME FAVOURABLE TRENDS OF IMPROVEMENTS IN THE COMPOSITE-END POINT COMPARED TO THE ACTIVE CONTROL GROUP. HOWEVER, SINCE DATA ONLY WAS PRESENTED DESCRIPTIVELY DUE TO THE SMALL SAMPLE SIZE, THE IMPACT OF THESE TRENDS SHOULD BE INTERPRETED CAREFULLY. CONCLUSION: OUR PILOT STUDY SHOWED PROMISING RESULTS IN FEASIBILITY, SAFETY, AND ACCEPTABILITY OF THE TELE-YOGA INTERVENTION. SOME CHANGES IN THE PROTOCOL HAVE BEEN MADE TO DECREASE THE RISK OF MISSING DATA IN THE MEASURES OF PHYSICAL FUNCTION AND IN THE FULL-SCALE RCT NOW ONGOING THE RESULTS OF THE SAMPLE SIZE CALCULATION FOR 300 PARTICIPANTS HAVE INCLUDED THE ESTIMATED LEVEL OF DROP OUTS AND MISSING DATA. 2021 19 536 44 COMPARISON OF YOGA VERSUS STRETCHING FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN: PROTOCOL FOR THE YOGA EXERCISE SELF-CARE (YES) TRIAL. BACKGROUND: BACK PAIN, ONE OF THE MOST PREVALENT CONDITIONS AFFLICTING AMERICAN ADULTS, IS THE LEADING REASON FOR USING COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE (CAM) THERAPIES. YOGA IS AN INCREASINGLY POPULAR "MIND-BODY" CAM THERAPY OFTEN USED FOR RELIEVING BACK PAIN AND SEVERAL SMALL STUDIES HAVE FOUND YOGA EFFECTIVE FOR THIS CONDITION. THIS STUDY WILL ASSESS WHETHER YOGA IS EFFECTIVE FOR TREATING CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN COMPARED WITH SELF CARE AND EXERCISE AND WILL EXPLORE THE MECHANISMS RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY OBSERVED BENEFITS. METHODS/DESIGN: A TOTAL OF 210 PARTICIPANTS WITH LOW BACK PAIN LASTING AT LEAST 3 MONTHS WILL BE RECRUITED FROM PRIMARY CARE CLINICS OF A LARGE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM BASED IN SEATTLE. THEY WILL BE RANDOMIZED IN A 2:2:1 RATIO TO RECEIVE 12 WEEKLY YOGA CLASSES, 12 WEEKLY CONVENTIONAL THERAPEUTIC EXERCISE CLASSES OF COMPARABLE PHYSICAL EXERTION, OR A SELF-CARE BOOK. INTERVIEWERS MASKED TO PARTICIPANTS' TREATMENT GROUP WILL ASSESS OUTCOMES AT BASELINE AND 6, 12 AND 26 WEEKS AFTER RANDOMIZATION. PRIMARY OUTCOMES WILL BE BACK-RELATED DYSFUNCTION AND SYMPTOM BOTHERSOMENESS. IN ADDITION, DATA WILL BE COLLECTED ON PHYSICAL MEASUREMENTS (E.G., FLEXION) AT BASELINE AND 12 WEEKS AND SALIVA SAMPLES WILL BE OBTAINED AT BASELINE, 6 AND 12 WEEKS. INFORMATION WILL BE COLLECTED ON SPECIFIC PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND PHYSIOLOGICAL FACTORS TO ALLOW EXPLORATION OF POSSIBLE MECHANISMS OF ACTION THROUGH WHICH YOGA COULD RELIEVE BACK PAIN AND DYSFUNCTION. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA WILL BE ASSESSED USING ANALYSIS OF COVARIANCE (USING GENERAL ESTIMATING EQUATIONS - GEE) WITHIN AN INTENTION-TO-TREAT CONTEXT. IF YOGA IS FOUND EFFECTIVE, FURTHER ANALYSES WILL EXPLORE WHETHER YOGA'S BENEFITS ARE ATTRIBUTABLE TO PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND/OR PHYSIOLOGICAL FACTORS. CONCLUSIONS: THIS STUDY WILL PROVIDE THE CLEAREST EVIDENCE TO DATE ABOUT THE VALUE OF YOGA AS A THERAPEUTIC OPTION FOR TREATING CHRONIC BACK PAIN, AND IF THE RESULTS ARE POSITIVE, WILL HELP FOCUS FUTURE, MORE IN-DEPTH, RESEARCH ON THE MOST PROMISING POTENTIAL MECHANISMS OF ACTION IDENTIFIED BY THIS STUDY. 2010 20 1586 36 MEDICAL YOGA IN THE WORKPLACE SETTING-PERCEIVED STRESS AND WORK ABILITY-A FEASIBILITY STUDY. OBJECTIVE: THIS STUDY EXAMINED THE FEASIBILITY OF USING AN INTERVENTION OF MEDICAL YOGA IN THE WORKPLACE AND INVESTIGATED ITS EFFECTS ON PERCEIVED STRESS AND WORK ABILITY. DESIGN AND SETTING: THIS WAS A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL PILOT STUDY COMPARING A GROUP WHO RECEIVED MEDICAL YOGA (INTERVENTION GROUP, N=17), WITH A GROUP WAITING TO RECEIVE MEDICAL YOGA (CONTROL GROUP, N=15). INTERVENTION: MEDICAL YOGA IN NINE WEEKLY SESSIONS LED BY A CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR, AS WELL AS AN INSTRUCTION FILM TO BE FOLLOWED AT HOME TWICE WEEKLY. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: FEASIBILITY WAS ASSESSED THROUGH RECRUITMENT, ELIGIBILITY, WILLINGNESS TO PARTICIPATE, RESPONSE TO QUESTIONNAIRES AND ADHERENCE TO THE INTERVENTION PLAN. STRESS WAS MEASURED WITH THE PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE, WORK ABILITY WITH THE WORK ABILITY INDEX. RESULTS: CONVINCING UNIT MANAGERS TO LET THEIR EMPLOYEES PARTICIPATE IN THIS INTERVENTION WAS DIFFICULT. ELIGIBILITY WAS PERFECT, BUT ONLY 40% OF WORKERS WERE WILLING TO PARTICIPATE. THE SUBJECTS ADHERED TO A GREAT EXTENT TO THE INTERVENTION AND ANSWERED THE QUESTIONNAIRES SATISFACTORILY. REACHING TARGET INDIVIDUALS REQUIRES CAREFUL ATTENTION TO INFORMING PARTICIPANTS. THE INTERVENTION SHOWED NO SIGNIFICANT EFFECTS ON STRESS AND WORK ABILITY, THOUGH THE TWO MEASURES CORRELATED SIGNIFICANTLY OVER TIME. CONCLUSION: FACTORS LIMITING FEASIBILITY OF THIS WORKPLACE INTERVENTION WERE IDENTIFIED. WORK PLACE INTERVENTIONS MAY NEED TO BE SANCTIONED AT A HIGHER MANAGERIAL LEVEL. THE OPTIMAL TIME, LENGTH AND AVAILABILITY OF THE WORKPLACE INTERVENTION SHOULD BE EXPLORED FURTHER. KNOWLEDGE FROM THIS STUDY COULD BE USED AS A FOUNDATION WHEN PLANNING A LARGER SCALE STUDY. 2017